Scouting Archie Goodwin

Monday, May 20, 2013

By Jaryd Wilson

As we get approach the 2013 NBA Draft, we are reaching out to local experts to help us scout some of the players the Hawks may take in the first round. We had Glenn Logan from SB Nation’s A Sea of Blue help us scout Kentucky shooting guard Archie Goodwin.

What are his strengths? Weaknesses?

Goodwin’s strengths are his size, length, foot speed, and athletic ability. Archie is very fast with the ball in his hands and can put a lot of pressure on defenders in transition. He also can finish strongly at the rim, has excellent leaping ability and first-step quickness, and outstanding body control through contact.

Goodwin’s main weaknesses are his perimeter jump shot, left hand, and understanding of the game. His shooting form is incorrect for starters. He repositions the ball and releases slightly sideways. On perimeter jump shots, he never seems to jump straight up, always sideways or off-balance, and rarely lands in the same spot he starts from. He also shoots the ball at a flat trajectory, often leaving it short.

Goodwin has a lot of things broken in his jumper. It’s not as bad as Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, but it’s pretty broken for a guard. It will take time to fix all these things, but the big chunks can be addressed pretty quickly, like shooting off-balance and the flat trajectory.

Goodwin has no left hand to speak of when it comes to shooting. Like most high-school players who were far more athletic than their peers, Goodwin never had to learn the value of a left hand. Also, he has a poor understanding of the proper way to play the game, and his decision-making often leads him to head-down slashes to the basket, all too frequently resulting in a player control foul.

When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.

What did he add to his team in college? What do you think he’ll bring to an NBA team?

He added good finishing ability and got to the foul line frequently. Unfortunately, his free throw shooting was hit or miss, and he missed way too many.

Goodwin is also a capable defender, but he has to be constantly reminded of his assignment and what to do. His athleticism allows him to get away with some mistakes at the college level, but he has to be more focused in the pros.
What Goodwin can bring right now to the pros is professional grade size, athleticism and energy. If he learns to take defense seriously, he can be a very good defender of multiple positions. He has good 2-guard size and takes contact very well. He isn’t a great finisher through contact yet, but he got knocked down a hundred times at Kentucky and never hesitated to get back up. Tough kid. A team that can channel that toughness and athleticism into meaningful effort will have a prize on their hands.

What kind of style is he best suited for?

The more wide open, the better. He’s much more dangerous in transition than in an offensive set. He also defends better in transition. He tends to lose focus on both ends in the half court, but the shorter NBA shot clock could actually help him in that area. He would defend well for about 20 seconds at Kentucky and then start to break down.

What sets him apart from other draft prospects at his position?

His combination of athleticism and quickness is rare. He is longer-armed (6’10” wingspan) than guys like Ben McLemore and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and and has a higher ceiling than most of the guards in this draft. On the negative side, he is extremely raw, by far the least-developed player at his position in the draft.

What NBA player would you compare him to?

The closest I can come is Tyreke Evans, another NBA shooting guard who gets his points mostly by slashes to the basket.

What’s your favorite memory of him at Kentucky?

The Louisville game that Kentucky lost by 3 in the KFC-Yum! Center to the eventual national champs. Goodwin went off from three in that game. Kyle Wiltjer got Kentucky on a roll and back into the game, but Goodwin almost won it single-handed down the stretch, dominating Louisville’s smaller guards with his size and quickness and scoring seven points in the last 34 seconds.

As was typical of Goodwin in college, he had a turnover in that stretch that led to a basket, giving the Cardinals enough cushion to win. But it was a heroic effort. Goodwin made 3-5 threes in that game, and two of them were challenged shots, and one a four-point play. It was his best performance from the arc all year.

Here’s what some of the national mock drafts are saying about Goodwin:

DraftExpress.com Analysis: Goodwin is an excellent NBA prospect from a physical perspective, standing around 6’5 in shoes with a massive 6’10 wingspan and a developing 198-pound frame. Additionally, he is an explosive athlete around the basket, quick in both transition and off-the-dribble. Simply put, Goodwin has the physical profile of an NBA shooting guard with athleticism and length that will allow him to compensate for any height deficiencies at the next level once his frame fills out.